The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Divisions of Forestry and Entomology & Plant Pathology has announced all aerial treatments conducted to slow the spread of spongy moths were completed yesterday.
The spongy moth is one of North America’s most devastating invasive forest pests and has caused thousands of acres of defoliation across the eastern United States.
Treatments for this destructive pest were conducted in Adams, Allen, Huntington, Starke, Wabash, Wayne, and Whitley counties.
The treatments done most recently used a mating-disruption process consisting of a product called SPLAT GM-Organic; an organic product made with food-grade materials including pheromones that disrupt the insect’s mating cycle. This material does not affect people, animals, plants, or any insects other than spongy moths.
The DNR will continue aerial treatments next spring and summer to continue the battle to slow the spread of this insect.
During the treatment period, updates are posted on X (formerly Twitter) @INdnrinvasive, and available as well via news releases. To keep up to date on future treatments, view maps of all treatment locations, or for more information, visit on.IN.gov/spongymoth.
